Bullying in the Police Force

Case history #24

All I ever wanted to be was a police officer. I spent the first nine years of my career dealing
with normal police tasks, with the odd dead body under a train, or the Brixton riots,
Finsbury Park riots, football duties, etc.

Then one day whilst in CID I met a young man that
meeting was to change my life, eventually we started to go out, he was 8 years
younger than me we were both single albeit I had been in a violent marriage
some years previous.

He eventually told me he was being bullied by a police sergeant I at that time still
believed in the system, still thought
that you could trust people. That was the biggest mistake of my life!

He told me that the sergeant was making his life
hell, he was going to leave the police as he felt threatened by the sergeant's
behaviour. I told him he had nothing to fear and that I would stand by
him. He made the complaint and I kept my word and stood by him, even
making a statement to my Superiors stating that my then boyfriend had reported
the sergeant's behaviour to myself.

I was subsequently interviewed by the Complaints
section of my force, but then sinister things started to happened. I was
in CID and had been for about 12 months, I was due to go on a CID course, it
was cancelled, the driving course I was due was also cancelled, when I asked
WHY, no reasons were given. My files started to either disappear or I
would find used condoms in amongst the papers (hence to say the paperwork had
to be re-done).

Myself and the boyfriend decided to get married,
In those days you had to inform the Job you intended to marry, I was advised
not to marry my boyfriend, I was told in no uncertain terms things would be
made difficult. I was threatened physically and mentally (I was asked how
would my first husband also a police officer feel, if he knew I was to
remarry, certain people that were senior to me had worked with both my ex and
myself they knew just how violent my first marriage had been).

Still I stood by my boyfriend on 1st September 83 and we married in December 1983,
I got injured on duty, by then I had
left CID after receiving numerous threats. I had returned to uniform
and was now stationed in the same location as the Sergeant that had bullied my
husband.

The night I was injured I was refused to be
allowed to attend hospital until some four hours later. I was refused a
pension on the grounds it had to be awarded. My husbands life was still
made hell, but now I was out of the way. I received visits from senior
officers at home, warning me to keep quiet. My pay was cut!

Eventually I went to my MP, there was an agreement,
a statement was taken as to what had happened. I was advised I would get
my pension, but my husband was to leave the Job, as well as me being pensioned
out.

I paid the price for standing by someone who was
bullied, I lost my health, the chance of a family, my career and my home.
Now years later I am still paying the price, not just physically you see as my
health has got worse. I have been asked by various doctors and other agencies
WHY didn't your force look after you.

I think we all know why. (The bullies look after
each other).

Now after being pushed to the brink, and trying to
kill myself, I have realised that you are on your own. Even to this day
I do as I was warned KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, OR YOU LOOSE YOUR PENSION.

The Doctors say I have had a breakdown after all
the years of abuse they say I am suffering Complex PTSD. They keep
asking went did happen when I was in CID.